A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the Better Agriculture Resources Now Act or the BARN Act, makes changes to the H-2A program for nonimmigrant agricultural workers. It moves the administration of the program from the Secretary of Labor to the Secretary of Agriculture. The legislation sets rules for application processing, wage rates, housing requirements, and worker status periods. It also places restrictions on legal assistance for aliens and sets penalties for program violations by workers and employers. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on November 19, 2025.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +6
Would farmers be better off under this?
Significantly helps agricultural producers by lowering labor costs, speeding up visa approvals, and offering housing allowances.
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
Benefits agricultural employers by streamlining H-2A applications, capping wage requirements, and reducing regulatory burdens.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Supports rural agricultural economies by easing farm labor acquisition.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Would immigrants be better off under this?
Restricts H-2A workers with mandatory departure periods, visa revocation rules, and limits on Legal Services Corporation assistance.
- Scored -1
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Imposes wage caps and restrictions that may limit earnings and legal assistance for lower-income agricultural workers.
- Scored -1
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?
Places restrictions on H-2A agricultural workers, many of whom are Hispanic, regarding wages and legal assistance.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Housing Allowance Option: Under Section 2(i) creating Section 218(c)(4)(E), if a state governor certifies that adequate housing is available, employers may provide a reasonable housing allowance instead of physical housing, which could give workers more flexibility in choosing where to live.
- Assistance in Locating Housing: Under Section 2(i) creating Section 218(c)(4)(E)(ii), employers providing a housing allowance must make a good faith effort to help workers identify and locate housing in the area if requested.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Wage Cap: Under Section 2(f) amending Section 218(a)(1)(B), employers are not required to pay a wage rate greater than 115 percent of the greatest of the Federal and State minimum wage rates, which could limit potential wage increases for workers.
- Mandatory Departure and Re-application Ban: Under Section 2(h) creating Section 218(h)(3), workers who remain in the United States for the full two-year period must depart the country and are not eligible to re-apply for a visa to re-enter as such a nonimmigrant for a period of two months.
- Visa Revocation for Work Lapses: Under Section 2(h) creating Section 218(h)(3), if a worker has a work lapse period of 60 days or more, their visa is deemed revoked and they are required to depart the United States.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — Significantly helps agricultural producers by lowering labor costs, speeding up visa approvals, and offering housing allowances. Would business owners be better off under this? — Benefits agricultural employers by streamlining H-2A applications, capping wage requirements, and reducing regulatory burdens. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Supports rural agricultural economies by easing farm labor acquisition. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Restricts H-2A workers with mandatory departure periods, visa revocation rules, and limits on Legal Services Corporation assistance. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Places restrictions on H-2A agricultural workers, many of whom are Hispanic, regarding wages and legal assistance. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Imposes wage caps and restrictions that may limit earnings and legal assistance for lower-income agricultural workers.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Facilitates access to agricultural guest workers and limits wage caps for farm employers. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Reduces administrative burdens and processing times for agricultural employers seeking labor. Is this likely to create jobs? — Streamlines the H-2A agricultural worker program to help employers meet labor demands.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Provides targeted reforms to agricultural guest worker programs to support farming operations.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this tighten control of the border? — Imposes stricter penalties for program violations and mandates departure periods for guest workers.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — Allows state governors to certify housing availability for agricultural workers.
- 11/19/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House